


Of the Elvenking's Halls

by yaruna



Series: Of Years Gone By [22]
Category: The Lord of the Rings - All Media Types
Genre: Angst, Aragorn POV, Friendship, Gen, POV First Person
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-10-04
Updated: 2015-10-04
Packaged: 2018-04-24 18:37:29
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,790
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4930753
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/yaruna/pseuds/yaruna
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Aragorn POV</p><p>Wherein Legolas returns to the woodland realm after his prelonged stay at Imladris</p><p>All parts of the series are stand-alone one-shots, though some may have references to previous happenings</p>
            </blockquote>





	Of the Elvenking's Halls

**Author's Note:**

> This one may make more sense if you've read part 18 ("Of a Desolate Mind") of "Of Years Gone By" already :)

He was stalling. I knew this. I knew he had not been fully ready to go back to the cavern. He had stayed in Rivendell for nearly a year, but as soon as the snow had melted he had started talking about going back. I had known he was not ready to go back to the caverns so soon, and had tried to convince him of this. All I had managed, in spite of all my eloquence, was to have him let me accompany him home. He tried to keep his smile during the journey, but the closer we came to the halls, the grimmer he became.

'We can still go back.' I tried, although I knew he would refuse this time as he had the other times that I had asked. In fact, I thought that maybe all my nagging was doing was to make him more determined to go. He never was good at not completing something he had already set his mind to.

'I am needed at home.' He said, just like he had the last few days. There was a deep pain lurking behind his eyes that I had not seen so plainly for the last three months. I was afraid his homecoming, although certainly awaited by his father, would set him back in his recovery.

Legolas himself said he was recovered. He told me this lie as smoothly as any human would, and I knew he believed in it himself. But he was not recovered. It waited beneath the surface for the opportune moment to rear its ugly head. If I could not stop it, at least I wished to be there for him.

What was true of what he said was that he was needed at home. We had done our best to keep the state of Mirkwood a secret, and even the King had sent separate letters for Elrond and Legolas. We had all done our best to protect the fragile peace in Legolas' mind, but he had figured it out. Of course he would, he is not stupid, nor is he slow. It actually said a lot about how we had thought of him since his encounter with the Orcs. For a long time, we had treated him a bit like a child. We had cajoled him into doing things he used to enjoy. We had needed to, for even though he had gotten some resolve back before his father left, he had not easily found amusement in anything. He pretended, but it was not hard to tell he would have preferred sitting in a tree, doing absolutely nothing. Only during the last couple of months had we been getting longer and longer glimpses of the Legolas we all knew since before. He was still not quite as he was, he likely never would be again, but he was getting closer. That is why I did not want for him to be back inside caverns, which were unlikely to do anything for him but bring back memories of orcs.

'These trees used to be healthy.' Legolas said with a small sigh, breaking my reverie. I looked at him to see him watching the tree with a sad gaze. He extended his hand towards one, then hesitated and dropped his hand with a sigh.

'They did.' I frowned. 'Last I was here, it was getting better, was it not?'

He looked at me with an indulgent smile.

'For a few years only. When the Necromancer was banished to Mordor the shadow receded ever so slightly, but it has returned with a vengeance. The forest is sick, it is not something that can be so easily healed.'

I had not known this. I had not visited Mirkwood for many years, ever since my twenties, although I have gone by its outer borders many a time. I should have asked.

'Worry not of it, Estel.' Legolas smiled and jumped off his horse. We were within view of the halls already, but I was certain it would take us far longer than normally to get there. As I have already mentioned, Legolas was stalling.

He went from tree to tree, touching them reverently. He stayed longer with the ones that were not poisoned, the changing look on his face telling me that he was talking with them, or at the very least he was listening. He had told me once, long ago, that the voices of the poisoned trees were lost. I had not been sure what he had meant, but it became apparent now. You could only talk for so long to someone that was not replying, and that was why he moved faster through the poisoned trees.

'My prince?' Someone said from the branches of a healthy beech-tree. I looked up and could see nothing, but Legolas fixed someone with his gaze and gave a small nod.

'The king was expecting you two days ago.' The hidden elf said. I almost growled. If Legolas needed five more days, I would ride ahead to his father and tell him such. But Legolas chuckled.

'He has shown amazing patience then.' He grinned. 'We will not linger long.' He said as a way of dismissal and turned back to another tree.

I almost felt sorry for the elf that would come back to Thranduil without his quarry. It could not be a fun place to be, caught between the king and the prince. Although Legolas is seemingly somewhat softer than his father, he is still his father's son, and it is not a pleasant thing to anger him. Although, it must be admitted that it is more difficult to anger him than it is his father.

He continued to go from tree to tree, touching their trunks, occasionally brushing their leaves gently. While I did not begrudge him whatever time he needed, I was getting impatient. I did not wish for his father to come out and drag him back on his own.

'Legolas, I could go…'

'No.' He interrupted and took a deep breath before turning back towards me with a hesitant smile. 'I am ready.' He looked terrified.

The rest of the ride was taken in complete silence. Legolas was turning more and more pale the closer we got to our final destination. When we finally arrived, I was initially happy to see that Thranduil was not there waiting for us. Seeing the somewhat stricken look on Legolas' face however made me reconsider the thought.

'I am sure he is waiting inside.' I said, not understanding why Legolas had looked troubled until I finished my sentence. He would have to go inside.

Legolas collected himself quickly however, and went inside of the gates before I had time to offer to go and fetch his father for him. But then again, his father was not one to be  _fetched_ , so I held some doubts about the success about that part anyhow _._

We did not have to walk far. Someone had probably informed the king once we had been visible from the lookouts by the Halls, and he was walking to meet us. His face was expressionless, and I felt a sudden anger with the elf crawl up, though he had done nothing at this moment to warrant it. No matter how much good Legolas says about him, I still cannot find it in myself to like his father. Especially not since I had heard that he had in fact ordered his son murdered. Without talking to my brothers or me about his incarceration beforehand. That was probably what irked me the most. We were his son's best friends and he had not even considered telling us of his predicament. At least they had come to us for help after the rescue.

'Legolas.' The king nodded. I clenched my jaw together. Was that how to greet a son you had not seen for almost a year? In the eyes of an elf, a year is nothing of course, and yet, they see the seasons change just as well as any of us.

'Father.' Legolas replied, head bowed, hand to his heart, and it made me want to roll my eyes. At least the last time they had met, they had embraced.

'I am glad you have arrived safely. Should I assume it is thanks to Estel?' He asked with a small, hesitant smile, and I understood then that he was unsure how to handle this. The last letter he had gotten from Elrond had told the king to tread carefully. I have always thought Thranduil to be a bit… emotionally challenged, and while it has always been clear that he loves Legolas, he does not show it overly much.

'There was no trouble on the road.' Legolas answered, just as stiffly as his father. But where I had figured Thranduil out, Legolas baffled me. Even if he was uncomfortable within the stony walls, he could still talk to his father. But he seemed just as uncertain as the king.

'Freshen up and join me for dinner.' The king finally decided to say before he turned his back towards us and left.

Legolas gave a sigh, closing his eyes in dismay.

'Why is this so difficult, Estel?' He asked, opening his eyes, showing me the naked pain inside of them.

'I cannot say, my friend.' I shook my head.

'The time I have spent away from here feels like so much more than a mere year.' He looked down at the ground with a small sigh before he turned and walked towards his rooms.

The dinner was to be about as uncomfortable as the initial meeting had been. Barely a word was being spoken, although I noticed both Legolas and Thranduil cast glances at each other, as if determining what they could or could not say. Both opened their mouths more than once, as if to speak, but then they closed it and looked back at their food. I grew weary of it.

'Enough!' I said, and both looked up at me with raised eyebrows. Thranduil quickly narrowed his eyes and I knew I had to speak before him.

'You two have known each other for more than five hundred years, surely you can find something to talk about? If it is my presence that is obstructing you, I will remove myself, and let you speak in peace.'

'No!' Legolas said instinctively, looking at me with worried eyes, and I immediately regretted my outburst.

'I am sorry.' I sighed.

The rest of the dinner was taken in that same uncomfortable silence. Legolas retired to his rooms, claiming he needed to be alone, and Thranduil went off to whatever business he needed to take care of, leaving me walking around in the halls.

Before I knew it, I had walked down to the dungeons. I shook my head at the absurdity of it all. Why would I come here? I looked into the first cell and shivered. It was cold, and it was dark.

'They say he called for me.' I heard a voice behind me and I jumped. Turning around, I saw Thranduil standing there, looking into the same cell as I.

'He called for me, and I could not help him. I could not be there.' There was an agony in his voice that I was not certain was undeserved.

'He does not blame you.' I said, because I knew that he did not.

'He does not. I know this. I do, and I do not know how to apologize to him. It is as you say, we have known each other for a long time, and yet I do not know how to speak with him. And I do not wish to put the responsibility on him.'

'For some inexplicable reason, he loves you.' I said, seeing only a raised eyebrow in protest at my expression. 'He will help you, but he is uncertain. I believe he thinks he might hurt you.'

'Hurt me?' He asked after a moment.

'I do not believe that he is… ready… to be here.' I said carefully. I was not certain I should be saying this.

'Why would be come before he is ready?'

'Because he loves this forest and the people.' I shrugged. 'He wants to help.'

'Do you think… should I let him… go back to patrols?'

'He always liked to do it, so I even think you should encourage him to do it. In fact, if he does not want to do it, I think you should force him.'

'Force him?' He asked, obviously surprised.

'We… In the beginning, we had to… persuade him… to do things he enjoyed.'

'And you believe that these halls might push him back that far?'

'I hope not.' I answered with a shake of my head.

'And yet, since you cared to mention it, you definitely think it a possibility.' He sighed. 'I do not deny I enjoy having him back with me, although I do not condone his coming at the risk of himself.'

I looked at him in wonder.

'You appear surprised, Aragorn, son of Arathorn.' The king said with a small smirk that reminded me of Legolas.

'I may have misjudged you, I apologize for this.'

'I am not certain you have, but I will take your apology. I shall speak with my son in the morning.' He nodded and turned his back to me, walking away from the dungeons.

I shook my head and followed him up, feeling the need to find Legolas.

My first thought was that he would be in the gardens, by the trees. I had a small moment of panic when I did not find him there before I realized how ridiculous I was being.

I knocked softly on the door to his room before I opened it. The image he presented made me frown in concern. He sat on the floor, his knees close to his chest, his arms crossed over his knees. His head was tilted upwards, eyes closed, and had he not had a small smile on his face, I would have said he looked vulnerable. He did look fragile, more than he truly was.

'It is a dark and dreary place, Estel.' He whispered faintly.

'It was too early.' I answered as I sat down next to him. He gave a small, self-depreciative smirk, and opened his eyes to look at me.

'That is not entirely what I meant.'

'Then stop speaking words I can misinterpret.'

'It is, dark and dreary. Here,' he pointed to his head, 'and here,' he did a gesture with his arms to encompass the entire room.

'That does not make me think it wasn't too early for you to come back.' I chuckled slightly to try and hide my concern.

'But that is just the thing, Estel. It is dark and dreary, and yet it does not remind me of…  _that_.'

He sounded almost surprised, and I waited, for I knew a continuation was coming.

'I thought it would.' He snorted and shook his head. 'But it is so different. I have memories from here. Good memories. Bad memories. I have laughed, and I have cried. But never have I been scared here.'

Implying that he had in fact been scared when he had been captured. He still had told me little of his time with the orcs, and what little he had told me was during moments like these. When he said something, without truly meaning to.

He looked at me with a smile.

'I should have come sooner. My irrationality kept me away.'

'We also thought it was for the best.'

'Indeed.' He smiled. 'And yet I am solely responsible for staying.'

'You make it sound bad.'

'It is. I left my father alone. He could have used me here.'

'He probably could have.' I shrugged, and Legolas gave an amused, albeit surprised, snort. 'And yet he didn't. Everyone is helping out, Legolas. This forest does not stand and fall on your shoulders.'

'I know this.' He sighed, before he gave a loud laugh and lay down on the floor.

'What?' I could only chuckle.

'Today's dinner! I thought father was going to kill you.' He grinned widely and I shook my head, lying back on the floor with him.

'This is uncomfortable.'

'I would have found a spot on the grass for you, but I was not aware you were coming by.'

'It is raining outside.'

'Then this is better.' He chuckled, making me roll my eyes.

Elves are enigmas. I do not believe I will ever understand them. Somehow, I do not think that I wish to.

But I finally understand the only thing that matters.

Legolas will be alright.


End file.
